وَمِنۡ خُطۡبَةٍ لَهُ عَلَيۡهِ السَّلَامُ
From one of his sermons
وَفِيهَا يَنۡهَى عَنِ الۡغَدۡرِ وَيُحَذِّرُ مِنۡهُ
In condemnation of treachery
إِنَّ الۡوَفَاءَ [في بعض النسخ: أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِنَّ الۡوَفَاءَ] تَوۡأَمُ الصِّدۡقِ، وَلَا أَعۡلَمُ جُنَّةً أوۡقَى مِنۡهُ، وَمَا يَغۡدِرُ مَنۡ عَلِمَ كَيۡفَ الۡمَرۡجِعُ، وَلَقَدۡ أَصۡبَحۡنا فِي زَمَانٍ اتَّخَذَ أَكۡثَرُ أَهۡلِهِ الۡغَدۡرَ كَيۡساً، وَنَسَبَهُمۡ أَهۡلُ الۡجَهۡلِ فِيهِ إِلَى حُسۡنِ الۡحِيلَةِ. مَا لَهُمۡ! قَاتَلَهُمُ اللهُ! قَدۡ يَرَى الۡحُوَّلُ الۡقُلَّبُ وَجۡهَ الۡحِيلَةِ وَدُونَهَا مَانِعٌ مِنۡ أَمۡرِ اللهِ وَنَهۡيِهِ، فَيَدَعُهَا رَأۡيَ عَيۡنٍ بَعۡدَ الۡقُدۡرَةِ عَلَيۡهَا، وَيَنۡتَهِزُ فُرۡصَتَهَا مَنۡ لَا حَرِيجَةَ لَهُ فِي الدِّينِ.
O people! Surely, fulfilment of pledge is the twin of truth. I do not know a better shield (against the assaults of sin) than it. One who realises the reality of return (to the next world) never betrays. We are in a period when most of the people regard betrayal as wisdom. In these days, the ignorant call it excellence of cunning. What is the matter with them? Allāh may destroy them. One who has been through thick and thin of life finds the excuses to be preventing him from orders and prohibitions of Allāh, but he disregards them despite capability (to succumb to them and follows the commands of Allāh), while one who has no restraints of religion seizes the opportunity (and accepts the excuses for not following the commands of Allāh).
